Cruelty or Compassion
by Yva J
Summary: Seven years after her adventure in the Labyrinth, Sarah must come to grips with her emotions, many of which are centered on Jareth.


_I just got the idea for this one shot when I was out and about doing some shopping with my husband. It really made me think about the concept of 'cruelty' and what it all means. It started out as a few pages, and ended up with about ten. I am really happy with this, and hope that you will enjoy reading it. This is just a tiny break from the other story. :)_

_Please let me know what you think. That means, please review this. It will encourage me to write more Labyrinth fiction. Thanks._

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**Cruelty or Compassion**

By: Yva J.

Fall semester had started with a bang and just like many of her peers, Sarah Williams had returned to yet another year at the university. Outside, the trees had started to show the signs of the weather cooling, the leaves taking on the shades of auburn, orange, and yellow.

It was a lovely time of year, Sarah thought on this particular afternoon. She and her roommate Kirsten were stocking up on their usual supply of junk food as well as several varieties of drinks. As of last year, both girls had become 'legal' and could now consume alcohol. Of course, getting carded was a pain, but that was life.

As they arrived at the local shop, they waved to the cashier and went to get their usual items. These consisted of a two pound bag of skittles, several packages of black licorice (Kirsten's ultimate weakness), some peach flavored bubble gum (Sarah's very strange addiction), peach flavored wine coolers, a bag of chips, and a six pack of Heineken.

Approaching the check out counter, Sarah touched her pocket where her identification was kept. Although the shopkeeper knew both girls, he still tried to muster a look of intimidation as he barked out: "I need to see some ID."

He came across sounding like a drill sergeant, but Sarah dug in her pocket and pulled out the small laminated card. "Bill, we've been buying our snacks here since Freshman year. One would think you would have our ages memorized by now."

"Well, that may be the case, Sarah," he said with a smirk. "But, you never know who could be lurking about."

"Okay, Fox Mulder," Kirsten said and laughed as she dug in her purse for her wallet as well. It was her week to pay for the stuff, and Sarah was glad in that as she was completely broke.

"Well, you never know," Bill said as he pointed to the 'X-files' t-shirt he wore. "There's always a good conspiracy afloat."

"Right," Kirsten said as she dramatically arched an eyebrow and handed him her driver's license as well as a small wad of money.

"Of course, in both of your defenses, I don't see what damage one could do consuming all this junk food, but given that I know you two, nothing would surprise me in the least if you came back with a skittles hangover."

"I don't know," Kirsten said smirking as she nudged Sarah playfully. "After two beers, Sarah's usually seeing stars."

"Oh shut up, you snitch!" Sarah shot back.

In response to this, Bill offered a hearty chuckle. He had known the two girls for well over four years, and he was always amused by their antics. Drama majors, he thought with a smug smile.

"So, you gals working 'Ren-Fest' this year?" He asked, referring to the renaissance faire that many of the drama students worked at for some extra acting experience. Word was out that the organizers were hiring a bunch of new actors that year, and it meant extra rehearsals for everyone involved.

"As much as I love it, I can't do it this year," Sarah confessed, not even adding that she was bummed about it, as this gave her the opportunity to daydream about the Underground. "I got cast in the latest play, though. It's not a big role, but it's enough to keep me busy with memorizing lines."

"I'm still working Ren-Fest," Kirsten supplied.

"Yeah, because you didn't get cast," Sarah said with a evil snicker.

"I didn't audition, you smartass," Kirsten said.

Before Sarah could so much as respond, beyond the doors of the shop, the sounds of tires squealing could be heard. Seconds later, a restored Ford Falcon pulled into the parking lot and Sarah groaned nervously. She turned and looked at her roommate with traces of fear enveloping her. Trapped inside the small shop, the two girls waited and watched as the driver cut the motor and got out of the car.

Instead of speaking, she glanced towards the door as Kirsten's eyes followed her movements. "Sarah, this does not look good. When are you going to go to the cops about that guy? He's been stalking you since the first week of classes."

Sarah swallowed the lump that was lodged in her throat. She had met Marcus Thompson in one of her classes three semesters back and much to her dismay, he had laid claim to her as his girlfriend. Sarah utterly detested him, and although she was not experienced with dating, she knew that his presence meant a hundred shades of trouble.

"Who is that?" Bill asked. "I've actually seen him around."

"He was in one of Sarah's classes about a year and a half ago. He's a real creep and seems to have it in his head that Sarah's his _property_. I've met him, he's got the intelligence of a bean and an ego the size of Africa!" Kirsten said.

"Well, if he tries anything here, I'll get the police involved myself," Bill said as he popped his knuckles meaningfully.

Ignoring this, Sarah reached for a plastic bag and started to put their purchases into it as the door swung open and a figure clad entirely in black entered the shop. It was Marcus, all right, the guy that Sarah would have easily voted as the biggest asshole on campus.

As she took in his appearance, she could not help but notice how his coal colored hair was ruffled and his eyes were concealed behind a pair of reflective shades. In both of his ears, earrings rowed up the outer lobe, some of the jewelry hanging down and brushing against his shoulder. He looked rather like a 'Hell's Angel' wannabe, Sarah thought with a shudder. One thing that she could not escape from was the odor that seemed to emanate him.

It was as though he had been bathing in the Bog of Eternal Stench for the whole of summer holidays. What is it with some people? She pondered as she tried to get her nerves in check. Is soap against their religion?

"Hey babe," Marcus said as he idled his way over to where Sarah was standing and linked his arm possessively through hers.

"I am not your babe," Sarah said snappishly as she carefully pulled her arm out of his hold. Now, I'll probably have to shower when I get home, because his stench is somehow catching.

"Oh come on, Sarah, you know you like me," Marcus said. As he spoke he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and tapped it. As the cigarette appeared, he pulled it out and stuck it between his lips.

"No smoking in here, Son," Bill said as his arms crossed over his chest and he regarded the younger man with a trace of angry indifference.

Ignoring him, Marcus inched his way closer to Sarah, the end of the unlit cigarette brushing idly against her cheek. "Just admit that you're crazy about me," he said smirking.

"I am?" She asked skeptically.

"See, I told you," he said. "That wasn't so hard now. Was it sugar?"

"That was not a statement, it was a question, you idiot," Sarah blurted, this time her anger overriding her fear. She turned and looked at Kristen as if to say, 'get me the hell out of here, right now'.

Kirsten looked at him. "Y'know, Marcus, we'd love to stay and chat, but we really do have to go. Sarah has to…call an old friend tonight."

"That's right," Sarah said hurriedly as she picked up on her friend's idea and decided to play along. "Jareth is sort of my boyfriend, I don't see him very much. I only hope that he'll be home when I call. He's always on the go, but you know how that is."

"Are you trying to hook up with another guy?" Marcus demanded. "Is that how it is, babe?"

"Yeah, that's how it is," Sarah said trying to stay calm. "And you'd better be careful, Jareth is sort of the jealous type and he doesn't take kindly to people messing with me."

"Oh I wouldn't worry about that babe, I could probably whip his ass," Marcus said smirking. "Just bring him on, and I'll show you both what a real man can do."

"I seriously doubt you could, I mean after all, how do you expect to find a real man if you can't even find a shower?" Kirsten asked snappishly. "Come on Sarah, let's get home and get these wine coolers chilled. You know, I'm sort of in the mood for a drink now…" her voice trailed off, but not before she turned around and looked Marcus squarely in the eyes. "…And the next time you want to impress a lady, try soap and water, it's a lot more appealing than bathing in whiskey."

With that, the two girls left the shop, neither caring that Marcus was standing and staring with a hostile gleam in his eyes. "I'll show you a real man, Sarah Williams, just you wait," he uttered darkly as he stormed out of the shop, the door slamming loudly behind him.

* * *

Sarah did not forget the confrontation with Marcus very quickly. In fact, the whole thing made her a nervous wreck. It was not so much that she and Kirsten managed to reduce his over inflated ego, but her concerns were now about Jareth.

Although she missed her friends terribly, she could not help but ponder what Hoggle would probably have said to her silly claim that the Goblin King was her boyfriend. It no longer mattered that Jareth's name was the only one she really felt comfortable mentioning. She simply felt utterly foolish for having dome it.

As soon as the words had emerged, she figured that even if Marcus were to go after Jareth, chances are, he would never find him. Even if by some miracle he did, then he'd be no match for the Goblin King's magic.

For the life of her, she could not figure out why she had let his name drop like that. Was it because she yearned to see him again, or was it because she was addicted to peach flavored bubble gum? The question that still made havoc with her conscience was: How would he react if he knew what she had said?

It was no great surprise that throughout the months that had followed her adventure, she had actually seen a white barn owl flying through her old neighborhood on several occasions. Whether it was an accurate assumption or not, she had come to identify the bird of prey as being Jareth.

Did this mean that he still cared for her?

This question had continued to haunt her long after she had become an adult and still periodically saw it perched just outside her window. Now, the thought of even looking for the Goblin King was simply unthinkable.

Yet, on this day, she had spoken his name.

"You want one?" Kirsten's voice suddenly emerged as she put a peach flavored wine cooler on the coffee table in front of where Sarah was sitting.

"Sure," she said as she reached for the glass bottle and took a sip. As she swallowed, she could taste the peach flavor filling her mouth. She returned the drink to the coffee table.

"Are you alright, Sarah?" Kirsten asked.

"I don't know if I am," she admitted. "Ever since we left Bill's shop, I have this strange feeling that I can't seem to shake."

"Do you mean what you told Marcus about having a boyfriend?" Kirsten asked. When Sarah nodded, she continued. "I wouldn't stress about it. After all, what we told Marcus was just a load of crap. I figured that if it would get him to stop harassing you, it'd be worth it. He's been hounding you ever since classes started. When is he going to get a clue that you're not interested in him?"

"I'm not really thinking about him," Sarah said idly.

"So if it's not Marcus, then is it Jareth?" Kirsten asked. When Sarah nodded, she continued. "Where'd you meet him?"

"It was a long time ago, when I was still living at home," Sarah confessed. "I don't even know why I felt compelled to say his name, I've never felt the need to talk about him. I guess, I just wanted Marcus to think that I was already taken, but you and everyone else seems to know that I've never had a boyfriend. Sure I've been on a few dates, but they were nothing, just snagging a pizza or going to a football game. Jareth is, or in this case, was a pretty amazing person. I couldn't imagine saying anyone else's name but his."

"Was he like a teenage crush?" Kirsten asked. "I mean; what is it about him that made you blurt out his name like that?"

"He left an impact on me," she said. "He talked to me like I was a grown up, but I was still a kid. I guess he was unlike anyone I had ever met before."

"Sounds like quite a guy," Kirsten said as she took a sip of her drink.

"He was, but he…" her voice trailed off and she swallowed.

"He?"

"He was so different, like something straight out of a dream or maybe even a nightmare. There was something cruel about him, but as strange as it sounds, I think there was a reason for it," Sarah said shaking her head. "He said something to me that sort of stuck, and every time I get scared, I can't help but remember it. I mean; the way he talked and behaved was similar to the guys at Ren-Fest. I mean there was this feeling with him that was almost medieval."

"Maybe you picked the right year to quit working the festival," Kirsten said bluntly.

"I don't know," Sarah said. "Either that or I just need some time to work this out for myself. I think I'm going to go for a walk. It's not dark yet, and maybe some fresh air will do me some good."

"Are you sure?" Kirsten asked, concern etched in her voice.

"I'll be fine, I'll just walk to the drama building and come right back." She got to her feet and started to walk towards the front door. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Okay, I'll put your drink in the fridge and you can finish it later," Kirsten said as Sarah nodded before stepping outside and closing the door behind her.

Outside, the sun was starting to sink behind the trees. Dusk had fallen on the town and an uncomfortable chill filled the air. None of this mattered to Sarah, she continued to walk down the sidewalk away from the apartment building.

Unbeknownst to her, two pairs of eyes were now watching her every move.

* * *

The path that led through the park was damp from the rain shower that had happened earlier that day. As Sarah walked, she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered slightly. She should never have left her jacket at home.

Deciding against going back and retrieving it, she continued to make her way through the park in the direction of the building that was adjacent to it. I better stay on the lighted routes, she thought as the lights that lined the path she was taking were suddenly illuminated.

After several more steps, she suddenly could hear plodding footsteps coming from behind her. It was not so much the steps that unnerved her, but the stench that seemed to accompany them. Instead of breaking into a run, she stopped and turned around to see that Marcus was now several meters away and approaching fast.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" He asked grinning as he reached her and stopped. The cigarette that was lazily hanging in his mouth bobbled about as he spoke. "I see that bitch of a roommate let you out for a time, babe."

"What do you want?" Sarah asked, her voice laced in forced hostility.

"I thought you and me could go somewhere quiet," Marcus began. "Just you, me, a bottle of vodka, and maybe a box of Trojans."

"I've already told you, Marcus, I'm not interested. Why can't you just leave me alone?" she asked trying to keep her voice steady. If truth were known, she was not exactly comfortable in the park with him. It somehow made the evening even more chilling to her.

In the past Marcus' advancements had only been verbal, his stalkerish behavior had only started to come out earlier that week when fall semester had reconvened. Sarah had tried so many times to get him to leave her alone, but it seemed as though her objections had fallen on deaf ears. He simply refused to listen to her.

"Oh come on baby," he said as he pulled the cigarette from between his lips and exhaled, the smoke wafting into the air. Tossing the stogie to the ground, he mashed it out with the tip of his boot. "You know you want a piece of me, Sarah."

"No, I don't," she said firmly. "Just leave me alone!"

"Or what?" Marcus sneered.

'Or what' indeed, Sarah thought desperately as Marcus came closer and grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her towards him. Frightened, Sarah fought against this, but soon found herself plastered against his smelly black imitation leather vest and held captive by a pair of tattooed arms.

Marcus leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. Finding that he liked this, he moved his hands to either side of her face and held her head still while his lips ravaged hers, the taste a mixture of cheap booze and cigarettes.

Oh God, now what? She thought as she tried to back herself away from him. He seemed unwilling to release his hold and she could feel the kiss intensifying, the taste of his mouth literally making her gag.

She began to struggle and after several moments, had managed to back her way out of his hold. When she was finally freed from him, she started to run down the path that led back in the direction of her apartment building.

Marcus eventually recovered from the surprise and started after her. As he quickly gained on her, he reached out, grabbed her arm, and roughly pulled her to the ground. "No two-bit hussy is going to make a fool out of me," he sneered as he started to grope at the top of her shirt.

Without so much as contemplating what she was doing or why, her next words emerged from between her frightened lips.

"I w-wish the goblins would take you away, right now!"

She clamped her eyes closed and waited for the impending kiss, but that never came.

What did eventually come was feeling a pair of gloved hands reaching down to where she was sitting on the ground and firmly, but gently, helping her to stand up.

At that moment, she raised her head and gasped.

"J-Jareth," she whispered as her adrenaline rush ended and she began to tremble uncontrollably. "H-he was going to…" Sarah's hysterical voice faded as she shook her head violently. "…Y-you s-saved me."

Once she was on her feet, the Goblin King's arms lowered and he shook his head. "Will you ever learn, Precious Thing?" He asked in the same cold and hardened voice as she had remembered during their first meeting.

"W-what do you mean?" She asked. "What could I have possibly learned? Maybe that guys are all jerks?" As she spoke, she wrapped her arms around herself. "Or maybe it's true and I can't even go for a walk without them trying to assault me. Yeah, if that's what you mean; then yeah, I've learned plenty."

"I meant the power of your wish, Sarah," Jareth said.

"Oh," she whispered. "That."

"I am now obligated to give you the same choice you had before," Jareth said, trying to ignore the emotionally broken young woman standing before him. "Either you solve the Labyrinth or your friend will become one of us."

"H-he's not my friend," she managed to speak. "In fact, I could care less if you turn him upside down and dip him headfirst into the Bog of Eternal Stench."

"Such cruelty," Jareth responded with a trace of irony in his silky voice.

"I think, for once, I'm entitled," she began as she shamefully looked away from him, her vulnerability showing. "I mean; you saw what he tried to do." She paused. "D-didn't you?"

"Yes, I saw and heard much more than the events that happened here, Sarah," Jareth said. "I heard you at the shop as well. You were speaking with your friends and I heard what you said. I am your boyfriend, tra la la."

"I…" Sarah began, her voice catching in her throat. "…I can explain."

"Alright, explain," he said. "But first I believe we should speak somewhere else, somewhere a bit warmer. It would do you no good to continue shivering like this."

Sarah nodded as he conjured a crystal and stepped towards where she was standing. Reaching out, he took her upper arm and they disappeared.

* * *

The hill overlooking the castle beyond the Goblin City appeared before her eyes and Sarah found herself staring at it as though it was yesterday when she had traversed the behemoth Labyrinth to rescue her little brother, Toby.

"It's just as I remember," she said, the awe resonating in her words. "It's strange, but I forgot how beautiful it was."

"Perhaps, but I am waiting for your explanation," Jareth said coldly, his words breaking into her contemplations.

"First tell me where Marcus is?" She asked.

"He's in an oubliette," Jareth said calmly. "He will stay there until his fate is decided and that will be done by you."

Sarah shrugged her shoulders. "I don't care what you do with him, as long as he doesn't stalk or hurt me again." Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around herself and allowed her body to sink to the ground.

"I can affirm to you that he is in a place where he cannot bring harm to anyone," Jareth said as he seated himself on a rock and waited for her to speak. "Now tell me what you meant."

"I don't know if I can," she said softly.

"Try," he said, but in his mind, the words that were oozing to the surface clearly were 'this ought to be good'.

Taking a deep breath, she found her voice and spoke. "I was trying to get him to leave me alone. He wouldn't, not even when I asked him. I kept telling him during last semester that he should leave me in peace, but he never listened. He just kept coming around and his actions got scarier and scarier."

"Were you afraid of him, Precious?" He asked. "Is that what you are saying?"

Sarah nodded shamefully. "Yeah, I am scared of him, he acted like I was his possession and not a person. I should have gone to the cops, they could have done a restraining order, but I was so stupid." She closed her eyes and could feel the tears as they streamed down over her face. "I spent many sleepless nights not knowing what to do."

Jareth reached over and with the tip of his gloved finger, he brushed one of the tears away. Looking down, he could see the dampness on his finger. Seconds later and with his thumb, he rubbed it over the moisture, thus smearing it away.

"Why did you say my name, Sarah?" He asked.

"I don't know, it just came out," she raised her head and looked at him. When she saw him shaking his head, she swallowed. "Okay, you win. I had been thinking about you a lot during these past years. Every time I would do a play or something from the medieval times, your image would somehow drift into my mind and I couldn't stop it. Then I would see the owl flying past my window, and I couldn't help but think of you. I mean; it was you, wasn't it?"

Jareth nodded. "Yes, it was me, but soon after you started your studies, I feared that my presence was distracting to you, so I stopped coming. It was not until I heard you say my name earlier today that I came to find you. What I eventually found was that foolish fellow harassing you. Seeing that, nearly gave me no choice but to intervene."

"R-really?" She asked meekly. "I figured that you had forgotten all about me."

"No, Precious, I could not forget you," he said shaking his head. "But, I imagine that my presence would have been quite awkward for your many boyfriends."

"I never had a boyfriend, Jareth, not even once," she confessed sadly. "The only guys who seemed to be even remotely interested in me were creeps like Marcus."

"Yet, I wasn't considered a 'creep'?" He asked.

"No," she said with an adamant shake of her head. "I always thought that if I had been older when we had met, and not some stupid kid with growing pains and an attitude problem, then maybe…" her voice trailed and she covered her face with her hands.

"…Sarah, look at me," he said, his voice firm.

"I can't," she whispered. "I'm still scared. I mean; the thought of seeing you again makes me sort of happy, but it also frightens me."

"Why?"

"Because I thought that you'd be angry with me just like Marcus was when I rejected him. I mean; there's no way of knowing if you'd like nothing more than to throw me into the bog, trap me in an oubliette, or send the cleaners after me again," she whispered brokenly. "I-I just didn't expect to see you again, or that you would actually help me get away from him."

"I did not help you escape him, Sarah, I did not do anything, because I could not," Jareth said as he reached over and touched her face. With a gentle hand, he tipped her face up and looked at her, his mismatched eyes meeting her teary green ones. "You did all that yourself when you wished him away. I could only watch and wait for you to find the words that would enable you to free yourself from him."

"Y-you didn't?" She asked meekly.

"No, I didn't, but I would have had I been able," he said, his voice no longer stern or filled with vindictive undertones. Now there was a trace of gentility in them. As he spoke, his fingertips lightly began to stroke her face. "You handled yourself as you always have, with courage and strength."

Sarah closed her eyes, but allowed herself to lean into his touch. "Jareth?" She murmured softly.

"What is it, Sarah?"

"You're really not angry with me for having rejected you?" She whispered. "I mean; I was only a kid back then. My only concern was getting my brother back."

Jareth shook his head. "I know that now."

"What should I do about Marcus?" She asked weakly. "I really don't know what it is I should do about him."

Jareth offered his hand. "What do you believe you ought to do?"

"I don't know, I mean; I hate him for what he tried to do," she said as she felt his warm hand encircling her own. "I think he deserves to be a goblin and live out his days trapped in the oubliette, but that's cruel, and I am…" Her voice trailed.

"…Not like me," he finished for her. "Is that what you were going to say, Precious?"

Sarah's face flushed crimson and she lowered her head shamefully. Those were the words she was going to say, but anymore she was pondering if there was something to his brand of cruelty that could have served as a lesson for her. After all, Marcus did try to assault her, and had she not wished him away when she did, it could have gotten very ugly, very quickly. "I hate him," she whispered meekly.

"It's understandable," Jareth said.

"It is?" She asked, as her eyes slowly opened to see the Goblin King looking at her.

"Of course, but Sarah, you must not think of your experiences in the Labyrinth or our final confrontation when you decide this man's fate," he said. "That is, this isn't about our history, so make your choices independently of what you think you might have done to me."

"I don't know if I can," she said, the words somehow stabbing at her conscience. She shook her head, all the while trying to block out the disturbing emotions that seemed to be taking over. "Jareth…I know you're not like him."

"I would most certainly hope that I'm not," he said as his expression softened.

She raised her head. "I don't wish to go through the Labyrinth again. I don't think I could do it a second time."

"Then I must offer you this," he said as he conjured a crystal and with it balancing on his fingertips, he extended it to her.

"What is it?"

"Oh come now, you already know the answer to that," he admonished as he began to juggle the object around in his hands. "Must we reenact everything, Sarah?"

He leaned towards her and gently placed the object in her hand.

As soon as she felt it, she stared into it and noticed that her dreams had changed drastically during the course of the last seven years. This particular dream, instead of being something positive and wonderful, she discovered an unbearable pain that was deeply embedded in her spirit. As she continued to watch the reflections contained within it, she noticed that there were things that she had never before realized.

As these events played out, she began to watch herself, not doing the things she dreamed of, but the things that she had done in the past. She watched the images play out and immediately recognized the impact her rejection had left on Jareth all those years ago.

Next, the crystal fast forwarded several years and she took in the painful truth that she had grown from being a somewhat awkward teenager consumed with drama and plays to a young adult who had not changed that much.

Instead of coming out of her shell, Sarah had retreated into the role of an insecure young adult. The only time that seemed to be hidden was when she was on stage. In essence, besides Kirsten, she had no real friends or contacts to speak of. This made her swallow the bitter pill that affirmed tenfold how lonely, isolated, and miserable she was.

Finally, she watched as the events at the store played out and the sadness that had unconsciously encased her when at last she had gone and mentioned Jareth's name.

Now, sitting on a hillside in his company, she had to accept the fact that she still had feelings for him – feelings that were perhaps only one-sided fantasies.

With all her heart, Sarah wished that Jareth had been the one to save her from Marcus, but he had not. Instead, she had used her instincts to save herself, thus feeling foolish and silly for letting the Goblin King see her in such a weakened state.

He was no hero, and her feelings towards him were even more mixed up than they had been when she had been a fifteen-year-old girl.

It was abundantly clear that she had never truly forgotten the Goblin King, she could never have escaped the trance he had left her in no matter what had happened. Sarah had spoken his name because she still cared and somewhere in her heart of hearts, she wished that he still cared for her. She wondered now if he would make his offer again and take her out of the mundane existence she now lived in.

This was the longing that was manifest in her, but the imbedded guilt made her realize that she simply did not deserve him.

With all of these blatant truths literally slapping her in the face, she continued to stare into the crystal until all of the images had faded. As soon as they were gone, she suddenly felt the tears unconsciously streaming down her face.

Shame washed over her for all the things that she had said and done. Although she had never truly compared Jareth to Marcus; she regretted saying their names in the same sentence. Perhaps, she had been making those comparisons with herself the whole time.

_

* * *

Your eyes can be so cruel…_

* * *

As these words filtered through her conscience, she broke down crying her hands covering her face and her shoulders trembling. She had asked to see her dreams, but this dream was painful, because it showed her the truth. She had not changed much since the Labyrinth, and instead of feeling anger or hate towards the Goblin King, her heart still raced in his presence. Now, she believed that she was unworthy of him and was somehow still trying to live through a dream that did not truly exist.

As she continued to weep softly, she contemplated the fact that Jareth would now seek revenge on her. He would no doubt cast her out of his kingdom and she would never see the Labyrinth, the Goblin City, or the castle again.

She would deserve it if it happened.

After several moments, she raised her head and stared out across the landscape, all the while trying to memorize every last detail of it. Her vision soon became blurred by the tears that were streaming from her unhappy eyes.

_

* * *

I ask for so little._

_Just let me rule you,_

_And you can have everything that you want._

* * *

Jareth had, without either of them realizing it, become a part of her. His presence in her life, even as a simple barn owl, had been a constant reminder to her of what had once been.

She had missed the Underground dreadfully, the taste of peaches in the gum or the drinks had been a simple reminder to her of what had once been, of what it was like to live in a dream-state.

"Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus…" she whimpered the names of her friends. "…I need you."

What happened next took her completely by surprise.

The crystal she held in her hands vanished at the very same moment Jareth wrapped his arms around her from behind. Silently, he pulled her body against the firmness of his chest as his fingers lightly stroked her cheeks and brushed her tears away. As she rested in his arms, she could feel the softness of his shirt as well the medallion that hung from a leather chord over his chest.

No words emerged from either of them, instead all that could be heard were her muffled sobs. Does this mean he still cares for me? She asked herself. Or is this merely a sign of pity?

Ignoring the questions that ravaged her mind, she allowed herself to cry until she had no more tears left to shed.

When at last her emotional outburst had subsided, she felt Jareth silently releasing her and shifting his weight until he was seated beside her.

"Do you still wish to see your dreams, or shall I give you thirteen hours to run the Labyrinth?" He asked softly.

She shook her head, her hands now reaching for his. When at last she had managed to grasp his gloved hands, she kissed them ceremoniously. "Neither," she whispered, the emotions leaving her exhausted. "I don't want to journey the Labyrinth again. I can't do it."

"So then you have decided that I should grant you your dreams, is that it?" He asked.

"Please don't hate me, Jareth, but I don't want to see anymore of my dreams," she whispered, all the while holding tightly to his hands.

"What is it that you want, Sarah?" He asked formally.

"I want…" she began. "…I want you and this place to be a part of me again. I need you in my life, Jareth, and I can't understand how I could have lived without you for this long."

"You wish to come back, is that it?" He asked.

"It's impossible, isn't it?"

"No, because wishes are not impossible," Jareth said as he brushed a lock of her long brown hair from her face. "You see, a small part of you still believes in the power of the Labyrinth."

"It does?"

Jareth nodded affirmatively. "The power is still within you, Sarah. You simply needed time to find it and wishing Marcus away simply affirmed that." He paused. "Tell me, is such a discovery as this better than my being some strange version of an Underground hero?"

"You said earlier that I saved myself by wishing him away," she said.

"You did," he said with a nod of his head. "You would never have been able to return to the Underground without having made a wish, Sarah."

"Then what would have happened if you had rescued me from Marcus?" She asked.

"Nothing," he said softly. "You would have returned to your apartment, and time would have continued without you knowing any better."

"You mean, if you had saved me, then I wouldn't have seen you at all?"

"No, your people only see me after one of you makes a wish. If I were to have appeared in the park and dispatched of that silly boy, then my involvement would have been nothing more than a dream to you," he said, his eyes taking on a glint of mischief, "or a nightmare."

"You're no nightmare, Jareth," she whispered. "You're everything I have ever dreamed of." As her words faded, Sarah leaned towards him and allowed her lips to gently brush against his.

In response to this, he pressed his lips more firmly against hers and allowed the kiss to intensify. Seconds later, he wound his arms protectively around her and listened as she sighed contentedly.

"Was that the reason you said my name, Precious?" He asked in a sultry voice.

Sarah nodded as she allowed her body to completely melt into his embrace.


End file.
